TWO Scots comms agencies have been named among the prizewinners at a competition celebrating the best of health-related advertising.

Story UK took a silver and a bronze, the former in the category, Consumer – UK Integrated Campaign, for ‘Second-Hand Smoke: Taking it right outside to protect Scotland’s kids’, for Healthier Scotland.

Its bronze was in the category, Consumer – Film Individual, for ‘Helping Scotland understand there’s no place for smoking on NHS grounds’ for NHS Scotland.

Also taking bronze – this time, in the category, Consumer – Out of Home Individual – was The Leith Agency, for ‘Cough, Cough, Cough’ for Jill Walker and Diane Primrose from the Scottish Government.

Say the organisers, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising: “In total, two entries won gold, 34 won silver and 42 achieved bronze.

“Also awarded were special prizes for best use of photography, copywriting, illustration and art direction and, new for 2015, the Pip Award for Young Talent. This category challenged new creatives to help raise awareness of the dangers of legal highs. The brief was set by the IPA in partnership with the Angelus Foundation.”

TRAINING in becoming an ‘effective freelancer’ is being hosted by the National Union of Journalists.

The one-day course is taking place on Friday, in Glasgow.

Says the NUJ: “The course is being delivered by Frank Shennan and is designed to cover not only the essentials of working as a freelance – organisation, negotiating, producing work, markets, law and financial record-keeping – but also living as a freelance, including personal finance, etc.

Places are limited and cost £95 for NUJ members and £120 for non-members. To book a place, contact joanm@nuj.org.uk.

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BEGINS Brian Ferguson, in The Scotsman: “Outland author, Diana Gabaldon, believes the hit series based on her multi-million selling books may be too extreme to ever be shown on mainstream television in the UK.”

ALSO in The Scotsman, page three: “Developers behind a new film and television studio development on the outskirts of Edinburgh have requested that the Scottish Government call in their application for consideration.”

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